2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cebe
A surname of Spanish origin that may refer to someone from the town of Cebé.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Cebe. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cebe surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Cebe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cebe, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cebe
The surname CEBE is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the region of Normandy, around the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word 'cebe', which means 'onion' or 'shallot'. This suggests that the name may have been originally used as a descriptive surname for someone involved in the cultivation or trade of onions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CEBE can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Fécamp, a collection of charters and records from the Abbey of Fécamp in Normandy, dating back to the late 12th century. This document mentions a certain 'Willelmus Cebe', indicating that the name was already in use during that time period.
In the 13th century, the name CEBE appears in the Rôles des Fiefs du Duché de Normandie, a record of feudal landholdings in the Duchy of Normandy. This suggests that by this time, the CEBE family had established themselves as landowners in the region.
As the name spread throughout France, various spelling variations emerged, such as 'Cebé', 'Cébé', and 'Sebé'. These variations can be found in historical records from different regions of the country.
One notable figure bearing the surname CEBE was Jean-Baptiste Cébé (1567-1640), a French lawyer and author from the city of Toulouse. He is best known for his work 'Traité de la Souveraineté du Roi', published in 1628, which defended the absolute sovereignty of the French monarchy.
Another prominent individual was François Cébé (1754-1823), a French painter and engraver who specialized in genre scenes and portraits. He was born in Lille and exhibited his works at the Salon in Paris during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
In the 19th century, the CEBE surname can be found associated with various places in France, such as Cébé, a commune in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées, and Cébazat, a commune in the department of Puy-de-Dôme. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in those regions.
Other notable individuals with the surname CEBE include Eugène Cébé (1840-1893), a French architect and urban planner who worked on projects in Paris and Lyon, and Jules Cébé (1857-1937), a French sculptor and medalist known for his allegorical works and war memorials.
Overall, the surname CEBE has a rich history rooted in the Normandy region of France, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. Throughout its evolution, the name has been associated with various occupations, from agriculture to law, art, and architecture, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cebe
Among Census respondents with the surname Cebe, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Cebe bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Cebe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 107
- Black or African American5.8% · 7
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cebe
Cebe appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+14 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,319 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 11,319 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Cebe surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #152,628 | #141,309 | 7.4% |
| Count | 107 | 121 | 13.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cebe bearers went from 107 to 121 (+13.1% change). The surname moved up 11,319 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #141,309.
FAQ
Cebe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cebe?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Cebe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Cebe?
Cebe ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Cebe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cebe.
Has Cebe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cebe went from 107 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 14 (+13.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Cebe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cebe, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cebe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cebe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Black (5.8%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Cebe (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Cebe mean?
A surname of Spanish origin that may refer to someone from the town of Cebé. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Cebe (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Cebe?
If you just want to know how common the surname Cebe is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.